Strike averted as WestJet, pilot’s union agree to mediation

WestJet and the union that represents the pilots said Friday they have agreed to a settlement process that will involve a federal mediator

Stephanie Babych

Updated: May 25, 2018

WestJet president and CEO Ed Sims speaks to reporters at the Calgary International Airport on Friday, May 25, 2018. The airline and the Air Line Pilots Association have agreed to a settlement process that will involve a federal mediator.Stephanie Babych / Postmedia

The Calgary-based airline and the union that represents the pilots said Friday they have agreed to a settlement process that will involve a federal mediator.

“We are grateful for the role played by the government, both with their mediation services and with the offer of support with arbitration and intervention of the minister of Labour,” said WestJet president and CEO Ed Sims.

The agreement means neither WestJet or the Air Line Pilots Association can walk away from negotiations. Sims said he’s confident a settlement will be reached by the end of June.

”The immediate stages of the process are that we continue to sit around the negotiating table as we have done for many months now. The negotiating will conclude with what is called a binding arbitration. So, an arbitrator will determine the values of each case and will reach agreements,” said Sims.

Rob McFadyen, the chairman of the executive council for the WestJet pilots, said the agreement is a positive move.

“Our pilots can now be confident that all WestJet flying that has been done for the last 22 years, very safely, will now be done by WestJet pilots,” said McFadyen, who added that this includes pilots for the new-ultra-low-cost carrier Swoop.

McFadyen said a strike appeared imminent, which would have greatly impacted the travelling public.

Rob McFadyen, chairman of WestJet’s Air Line Pilots Association speaks to media at Calgary International Airport on Friday, May 25, 2018. On Friday evening, WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association agreed to a settlement process through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Jim Wells/Postmedia

“Our pilots were very committed to achieving an industry-standard contract,” said McFadyen.

“Today, the solution that we came to, in conjunction with WestJet management, allowed us to not only secure job security moving forward, but to also give us the opportunity to work on some of the issues that we’ve had difficulties coming to an agreement on.”

The two sides had resumed contract talks on Tuesday.

The pilots were legally able to launch a strike last Saturday, but committed not to disrupt passenger travel plans over the Victoria Day long weekend as a goodwill gesture.

The union represents about 1,500 pilots at WestJet’s main service.

WestJet has said its bargaining team was focused on getting a sustainable agreement that benefits pilots, WestJet customers and the company as a whole.

The airline had promised to refund tickets if flights were cancelled in the event of a strike.

Sims said that its bookings had slowed since the union said it would seek a strike mandate, which was supported by 91 per cent of its members. According to Sims, the slow bookings resulted in a loss of millions of dollars.

“I could not sit back and stand by and watch the organization effectively slow-baked into this position,” said Sims about the four weeks under the strike-threat. WestJet’s planned launch of its Swoop ultra-low cost carrier has been a source of contention between pilots and the company.

The company will launch Swoop in June, and it also has plans to expand its international reach with the purchase of new wide-body planes. The agreement will not impact those plans, Sims said.

Earlier this year, the union won a Canada Industrial Relations Board challenge to the company’s proposed policy to offer pilots a two-year leave of absence if they go to fly for Swoop.

The union complained that the policy was a significant change in the company’s terms of employment and an interference with the union’s right to represent the pilots.

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